In this IELTS Vocabulary post, I’m focusing on some homonyms and homophones (same-sounding vocabularies) and this is quite fruitful not only for the IELTS candidates but also for other learners of English. I’ve given all the necessary explanations with meanings and example sentences so that it becomes easier for you all to understand them. Hopefully, this post guides you to take a better preparation in IELTS and other English language courses.

Accept (v.): to take or receive (something offered); receive with approval or favor: He accepted the offer graciously.

Except (prep.): with the exclusion of; excluding; but: They took all the points into account except the one point of consulting the experts.

Expect (v.): to look forward to; regard as likely to happen: We did not expect the decision to be made so quickly.

 

Beside (prep.): by the side of/ alongside/ next to: The house is located beside the river.

Besides (prep.): apart from/ other than/ aside from: I do a part-time job besides studying.

Besides (adv.): in addition to/ furthermore / moreover: She is a doctor. Besides, she has a family business of imported products.

 

Board (n.): a thin, flat piece of wood or other stiff material used for various purposes: She drew a bird on the white board.

Board (v..): get on or into (a ship, aircraft, or other vehicles): We have to board the plane in 15 minutes.

Bored (adj.): tired; spiritless: I feel bored when I listen to this lecture.

 

Desert (n.): a vast, barren area with little rainfall and vegetation: Sahara in Africa is the largest desert in the world.

Dessert (n.): any sweet food eaten after a meal: Taking dessert after a heavy meal helps our digestive system.

 

Eminent (adj.): famous and well-respected: Denzel Washington is an eminent actor in Hollywood. 

Imminent (adj.): about to happen: I warned the authority about the imminent threat.

 

Fair (adj.): free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice: It was a fair decision.

Fare (n.): the price of conveyance or passage in a bus, train, airplane, or other vehicles: The air fare has increased suddenly.

 

Flower (n.): the reproductive parts of flowering plants, often with brightly coloured petals and seeds: Rose is probably the most common and beautiful flower all around the world.

Flour (n.): powder obtained by grinding grain, typically wheat, and used to make bread, cakes, and pastry: The cake is made of rice flour.

 

Heal (v.): to make or become well again, especially after a cut or other injury: A doctor can help you heal a wound.

Heel (n.): the back part of the human foot below the ankle: My heels hurt when I wear this pair of shoes.

 

Late (adj.): doing anything or taking place after the anticipated, correct, or usual time: The government was late to respond in this crisis.

Lately (adv.): recently, not long ago: She has been acting strange lately.

 

Made (vp and vpp): prepared, formed, arranged: They made history by winning 7 tournaments at a stretch.

Maid (n.): a female domestic servant/ housekeeper: Mrs. Hudson is the maid in Sherlock Holmes.

 

Meat (n.): the flesh of an animal, typically a mammal or bird, as food: She ordered meat curry with potato.

Meet (v.): arrange or happen to come into the presence or company of (someone): We have a plan to meet with the engineers in the city centre.

 

Morning (n.): the period of time between midnight and noon: The market is busier in the morning than in the afternoon.

Mourning (n.): the expression of grief for someone’s death: After the death of her husband, the landlady is still in mourning.

 

Night (n.): the time from sunset to sunrise in every twenty-four hours: This night is going to be very long.

Knight (n.): (in the Middle Ages) a man who served his sovereign or lord as a mounted soldier in armour:  The king made him a knight.

 

Patience (n.): the ability to control oneself or accept or tolerate delay, troubles, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious: We should have the patience to achieve success.

Patients (n. plural): people receiving or registered to receive medical treatment: There are a big number of coronavirus patients in China, Italy and the US.

 

Peace (n.): freedom from disturbance, tranquillity: People want peace more than ever before.

Piece (n.): a portion of an object or of material, formed by cutting, tearing, or breaking the whole: They took a large piece of bread for the poor children.

 

Pray (v.): address a prayer to God or another deity: Mr. Asad is a practicing Muslim and prays five times a day.

Prey (n.): an animal that is hunted and killed by another for food: All those bears pounced on their prey.

 

Principal (n.): the most important or senior person in an organization or group: They consulted with the Principal regarding the issue.

Principle (n.): a basic truth or proposition that serves as the basis for a system of belief or behaviour or for a chain of reasoning: The teacher advised her students to follow principles in life. 

 

Sent (vpp.): caused, permitted or enabled to go: I was sent to St. Martins’ School when I was 7.

Scent (n.): a distinctive odor, especially when agreeable or when it gives pleasure: I love the scent of roses.

 

Sole (adj.): being the only one; only: Carol is the sole survivor of the plane crash.

Soul (n.): the spiritual/emotional part of human life or nature: Her soul was always haunted by the dreadful experiences of the past.

 

Some time (adv.): a period of time or quite a while: We need some time to decide on this matter.

Sometime (adv.): an unspecified point in time: I saw the strange figure sometime in the night time behind that garden.

Sometimes (adv.): occasionally/ from time to time: Eela helps me sometimes in my works.

 

Steel (n.): a very specially modified version of iron that if rust-proof: The whole compartment was made of steel.

Steal (v.): to take (the property of another or others) without consent or right, especially in secret or by force: They steal food sometimes to survive but they could ask for it.

 

Their (pro.): possessive case of ‘They’: Their mother is their sole guardian.

There (adv.): in or at that place (opposed to here): I know a good place to eat there.

They’re : contracted form of ‘They are’: They’re the only people we can trust.

 

Throw (v.): to cast something away: We should not throw plastic bags here and there.

Through (prep.): in at one end, side, or surface and out at the other: They must have passed the town through Hallgate Bridge.

 

Very (adv.): in a high degree; extremely; exceedingly: This decision is very realistic in context to current affairs.

Vary (v.): to cause to be different from something else: The choices of clothes vary from person to person.

 

Were (v.): plural form of ‘was’: They were frustrated when the tournament began.

Wear (v.): to put on: We should wear formal dresses in an office party.

 

Whole (adj.): to cause to be different from something else: Robin ate the whole pie.

Hole (n.): a hollow place in a solid body or mass; a cavity, a gap: I saw a large hole on the ground near the barbwire.

 

Weather (n.): the condition of the environment with respect to wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture, pressure, etc.: We may face some rough weather between May and June.

Whether (conj.): generally used to indicate alternatives: We should decide whether we stay or leave.

 

Waist (n.): the part of the body in humans between the ribs and the hips, usually the narrowest part of the torso: After the accident, he can’t feel anything under his waist.

Waste (n.): useless consumption or expenditure; garbage: This massive sum of waste can’t be recycled.

 

Weak (adj.): not strong; feeble: Most of the babies are very weak due to malnutrition. 

Week (n.): a period of seven successive days, usually beginning with Sunday and ending with Saturday: I have a long vacation of two weeks.